Water-heater.



H. E. TOWNSEND.

WATER HEATER. APPLICATION FILED JUNES, 1909.

1 1,001,232, Patented Aug. 22, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

l mm W WlTNESSES: v v V INVENTOR W v H. E. TOWNSEND.

WATER HEATER.

APPLIOA! 1ION FILED June, 1909.

Patented Aug. 22, 1911.

7 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FIG-.5.

FIG. 3.

WITNESSES:

INVENTOR.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPII (20.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

rrnn srarns PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY E. TOWNSEND, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

WATER-HEATER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 22, 1911. This application filed June 3, 1909.

Serial No. 499,837.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY E. TOWNSEND,

I a citizen of the United States, residing in New York, borough ofBrooklyn, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Water- Heaters, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to water-heaters of the partially submergible type,suitable for heating water in bath-tubs, etc., and it consists in thenovel construction and arrangement of parts as will be more fully setforth hereinafter and then claimed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical section of aheater constructed according to my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view ofthe same, partially in sec tion, taken upon the lines A B of Fig. 1; andFigs. 3, 4t and 5 are sectional views illustrating other methods ofconstructing a heater embodying the said invention.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The outer casing 1 in its preferred form comprisesa bottom portion, alaterally expanded and inwardly inclined body portion rising therefrom,and aflaring neck-like portion rising from the body portion, the wholebeing circular in cross-section, or substantially so. Within the body ofthe casing is a watershell 2 comprising an inner cylindrical wall, anannular bottom extending upwardly and outwardly from the inner wallnearly to the outer casing, and an outer wall which declines from thetop of the inner wall to the outer edge of the bottom so as tocorrespond with the contour of the adjacent body portion of the casing;An

annular space is formed betweenthe watershell and the body of thecasing, the parts being connected by means of upper and lower tubes 3,and 4, respectively, which afford communication between theexterior ofthe casing and the interior of the watershell. The lower tubes afl'ordinlet ducts and the upper tubes outlet ducts to permit the circulationof water through the interior of the shell.

The space between the bottom of the watershell and the bottom of thecasing constitutes a combustion chamber 5, in communication with theannular space'between the shell and the body of the casing. With in thischamber, concentrically therewith, is located the annular burner 6,which is connected by means of radial pipes or ducts 7 with the lowerend of a central gas inlet 8, This gas inlet rises within an opencylindrical down-draft flue 9, a portion of which convenientlyconstitutes the inner cylindrical wall of the annular watershell. Theflange 10, depending from the bottom of the water-shell and beingproperly a continuation of the down-draft flue, has its lower edgeterminating within the inner circumference of the annular burnerslightly below the top thereof, the burner being spaced slightly awayfrom the said flange to provide an intervening annular air passage 11.The burner is also slightly spaced from the bottom and sides of thecasing to provide air passages 12, 13, under the burner and at its outercircumference respectively. This arrangement tends to prevent the gasesof combustion from escaping through the central down-draft flue, andcauses air supporting the combustion to first pass under the burner andthence upward through the air passages 11, 13 to the combustion chamber,thus insuring a continuous circulation of air in the direction indicatedby the arrows in Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 show modifications of theconstruction as above described, in which the down-draft flue 9 iscarried directly down below the level of the top of the annular burner6, said burner being made of a smaller diameter so that the down-draftflue terminates within and adjacent to the inner circumference thereof,in the same manner as the flange 10, as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 showsthe lower portion of the water-shell 2 extending down below the top ofthe burner, and spaced slightly away from the inner circumference of thesame, to provide the air passage 11, as above described.

The air passages 11, 13 at the inner and outer circumferences of theburner are'only wide enough to admit of the passage through them ofsuflicient air to support combustion at the portion of the burner servedby each air passage respectively, for the purpose of causing the air tobe evenly distributed to all parts of the burner. The annular burner 6ischannel shaped in cross section, and its upper edges and the under edgesof the cover plate lt are correspond- 16 cast in its under edges for theescape of the gas within the burner. These notches are so closely spacedas to provide 'practi-' cally continuous lines of combustion around boththe inner and outer circumferences ofthe burner, and are so arranged asto discharge the gas issuing from them upwardly across the air passagesabove referred to, thus bringing it into immediate contact with the airpassing upward therethrough, re-

sulting in rapid and complete combustion.

As the gas within the heater is ignited by merely holding a lightedmatch or taper over the top, it is important that the initial movementof hot gases shall be in the direction indicated by the arrows inFig. 1. To insure this the central down-draft flue is made of a lesserheight than the escape flue, for the reason that should the entireheater become filled with gas before ignition, when ignition occurs thehot gases will tend to pass out through the taller flue.

The down-draft flue is made of greater diameter above the top of thewater-shell than below it, for the reason thatthis portion, having itsouter surface in contact with the gases of combustion, becomes more orless heat-0d, thus causing the air in contact with its inner surface tobecome heated and to flow up and out of the down-draft flue. The greaterdiameter of this portion admits of the upward movement of the air inimmedi ate contact with its inner surface without interfering with thedownward passage through the center of the flue of 'suflicient air tosupport the combustion, asillustrated by the arrows at the point 17.

To\prevent the gas from igniting within the burner, the cored holes 18for the admission of air to mix with the gas are covered by the wiregauze 19, held in place by the retainer 20, having openings tocorrespond with the cored holes 18. The retainer 20 fits over the nipple21, through which gas is discharged into the burner, and is held inplace by the pipe 22 being screwed down upon it. The carrying handle 23,fits loosely on the pipe 22, so that when the heater is in operation itrests on the top of the sleeve 24, in which position it is within thedown-draft flue, and therefore protected from the. hot air arising fromthe heater. When the heater is to be lifted the handle is slid up thepipe 22 until it is stopped by the flange of the hose nozzle 25., whereit can be conveniently grasped by the hand.

One of the difficulties met with in constructing a heater of this typeisto condense within practicable limits of displacement and height thenecessary amount of heating surface, effectively arranged in relation tothe action of the hot gases thereon. The construction herein described,with the watershell arranged directly above the burner, and extendingnearly to the outer casing, the outer casing inwardly inclined above thewater-shell and closely following the contour of the same, providesample heating surface within a few inches of height, and also a tortuousand narrow passage through V which the hot gases cannot escape withoutcoming into contact with one of the surfaces forming the walls of thesaid passage. The use of the heater is not, however, limited to water ofa shallow depth, as the weight is so proportioned to the displacementthat the heater will float when the safe limit of submergence has beenreached.

When the heater is to be used it is placed in the water to be heated andconnected by the tube 26 with a gas supply, and gas admitted to theburner. A lighted match is held above the heater until the gas withinignites, when the heater-will require no further attention until thewater has been heated to the desired temperature.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters-Patent is:

1. In a water-heater, the combination of a casing, an annular burnerwithin the casing, a central cylindrical down-draft flue, the saidcasing being spaced away from the central down-draft flue to provide acombustion space and an escape flue, the said burner being locatedwithin the said combustion space, the lower end of the centraldown-draft flue terminating within and adjacent to the innercircumference of the burner and below the top of the same, substantiallyas shown and described.

2. A water-heater comprising an annular casing, a central cylindricaldown-draft flue, an annular burner located between and concentric withthe central down-draft flue and the casing, the said central down-draftflue having its lower end terminating below the level of the top of theburner and within and adjacent to the inner circumference of the latter,substantially as shown for the purpose specified.

3. In a water-heater,.the combination of a casing, an annular burnerwithin the casing, a central cylindrical down-draft flue, the casingbeing spaced away from the central clown-draft flue to provide acombustion space and an escape flue, the annular burner being locatedwithin the combustion space and somewhat above the bottom of the casing,the central down-draft flue and the casing being spaced away from theburner to provide air passages at its inner and outer circumferencesrespectively, the central down-draft flue having its lower portionterminating within and adjacent to the inner circumference of the burnerand slightly below the top of the same, substantially asset forth.

4. A water-heater comprising an annular casing, a central cylindricaldown-draft flue therein, said casing and down-draft flue being spacedapart to provide therebetween a combustion chamber and an escape flue,an annular burner located within the combustion chamber and somewhatabove the bottom of the casing, the central down-draft flue and thecasing being spaced away from the burner to provide air passages at itsinner and outer circumferences respectively, the said air passages beingonly approximately wide enough to admit of the passage through them ofsufficient air to support combustion at the portion of the burner servedby the respective air passages.

5. A water-heater comprising a casing, an annular burner within thecasing, a watershell above the burner, a central down-draft flue passingthrough the said water-shell, a flange depending from the under side ofthe water-shell and having its lower edge terminating within andadjacent the inner circumference of the burner and slightly below thetop thereof, substantially as shown for the purpose specified.

6. A water-heater comprising an annular casing, an annular burner withinthe easing, a watershell above the burner, a central down-draft fluepassing through the water-shell, the bottom portion of the said watershell terminating within and adjacent the inner circumference of theburner and slightly below the top thereof, substantially as shown anddescribed.

7. A water-heater comprising a casing, a centrally arranged cylindricaldown-draft flue, an annular burner located between the down-draft flueand the casing, an annular water-shell arranged above the burner andinclined from the down-draft flue nearly to the outer casing, the sidesof the casing sloping inwardly above the water-shell beingcorrespondingly inclined and being spaced away from the shell to providean escape flue for the gases of combustion, and suitable ducts leadingfrom the exterior of the casing to the interior of the water-shell,substantially as shown and described.

8. A water-heater comprising a casing, a

central down-draft flue therein, said casing and flue being spaced apartto provide therebetween a combustion chamber and an escape flue, aburner located within the com-, bustion chamber, the top of the saiddowndraft flue being at a level below the top of the escape flue,substantially as shown and described.

9. A water-heater comprising a casing, a central down-draft fluetherein, said casing and flue being spaced apart to provide therebetweena combustion chamber and an es cape flue, a burner located within thecombustion chamber, a water-shell encompassing the lower portion of thedown-draft flue,

the said down-draft flue being enlarged above the water-shellsubstantially as shown, for the purpose specified.

10. In a water-heater having a central down-draft flue and a surroundingescape flue, a carrying handle movable into and above said down-draftflue, and means for supporting and guiding said handle.

11. A water-heater comprising a casing, a central cylindrical down-draftflue therein, said casing and flue being spaced apart to provide acombustion chamber and an escape flue, a gas inlet within the down-draftflue, a connection between the lower par of said gas inlet and theburner, a gas feed phpe rising from said inlet, and a handle slidablymounted on said pipe and movable thereon into and above the down-draftflue.

12. A water-heater comprising a casing, a central down-draft fluetherein, an annular water-shell encompassing the down-draft flue andhaving its bottom portion upwardly inclined therefrom nearly to theouter casing, the casing being spaced away from the water-shell and thedown-draft flue to provide therebetween a combustion chamber and anescape flue, an annular burner located under the upwardly inclinedportion of the said water-shell, and ducts affording communicationbetween the exterior of the casing and the interior of the water-shell.

13. A water-heater comprising a casing, a central down-draft fluetherein, an annular water-shell encompassing the down-draft flue andextending therefrom nearly to the outer casing, the said water-shellhaving its outer circumference at a level above the lower end of thedown-draft flue, the outer casing being spaced away from the watershelland the down-draft flue to provide therebetween a combustion chamber andan escape flue, an annular burner located between the down-draft flueand the outer circumference of the water-shell, and ducts affordingcommunication between the exterior of the casing and the interior of thewater-shell.

14. A water-heater comprising a casing having a circular bottom portion,a laterally expanded and inwardly inclined body portion risingtherefrom, and a necklike portion constituting an escape flue risingfrom the body portion, an annular water-shell lo cated within and spacedfrom the body portion of the casing, an annular burner located .belowthe said water-shell, a down-draft flue encompassed by the saidwater-shell, and ducts aflording communication between the exterior ofthe casing and the interior of the water-shell.

15. A water-heater comprising a casing having a circular bottom portion,a laterally expanded and inwardly inclined body por-' tion risingtherefrom, and a necklike portion constituting an escape flue risingfrom the body portion, an annular water-shell located within and spacedfrom the body port-ion of the casing, an annular burner located below.said water-shell, a down-draft flue encompassed by said water-shell andterminating at its lower end within and adjacent to the innercircumference of the burner, a gas inlet within the said downdraft flue,a connection afiording a communication between the said gas inlet andthe burner, and ducts affording communication between the exterior ofthe casing and the interior of the water-shell.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARRY E. TOWNSEND.

WVitnesses:

GEORGE TOWNSEND, OSCAR T. SMITH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

